Display-stand.



No. 807,341. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905. G. A. WELGH.

DISPLAY STAND.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1905.

r g/MW m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. WELCH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO PHILIP HAMBURGER, as, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

DISPLAY-STAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. WELoH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Display-Stands, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in display-stands designed particularly for supporting ladies hats. In a device of this class it is highly desirable that the hat be firmly supported with a minimum of stretching or distortion; and the object of the present invention is the provision of a stand having four bearing-points interiorly of the hat, each of which is arranged for independent yielding to readily accommodate the stand as a whole to the interior contour of the hat.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for supporting the displaystand, so as to readily exhibit the hat without necessity of moving the hat from the stand.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain details of constructions to be described in the following specification, with particular reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved display stand, the handle being shown in section. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, the handle being broken off and Fig. 3 is a top plan. Referring to the drawings,it will be noted that my improved display-stand is made of two lengths of wire each formed to provide a frame having bearings at two points within the hat. The frames are identical in construction, and a detail description of one will suffice for both.

In forming the frame I take a suitable length of wire and a short distance from one end form a spring-coil 1, preferably including a single coil of the wire, and project the wire upward from said coil on a gradual curve to provide an arm 2. At the upper end of the arm the wire is bent to form a loop 3, projected in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal extension of arm 1. The return-section 1 of the loop 3 is projected straight across and beyond the arm 2 and bent to provide a loop 5, similar to the loop 3, the projection of the loop being continued until approximately meeting the cross-bar 4, at which point the wire is projected downward to form an arm 6, coextensive and parallel with the arm 2. The wire at the lower end of the wire 6 is formed into a coil 7 and projected below said coil and terminating coincidently with the initial length of the wire below the coil 1.

The remaining frame is exactly identical in construction, the arms 2 and 6 being projected upward from coils 1 and 7 and terminally bent to provide loops 3 and 5.

The frames are arranged so that the crossbars 4, joining the loops, are in approximately parallel relation, the loops 3 and 5 of each frame being projected beyond said cross-bars 4 with relation to the rest of the stand, so that in plan the stand-loops are in rectangular outline with bearing-points at the corners of the rectangle.

By preference the coils 1 and 7 of each frame are arranged in order, so that the coil 7 of one frame is interposed between the coils 1 and 7 of the other frame.

The terminals of the wire forming the frame are secured together below the coils by a wrapping 8 of wire or the like and the whole inserted in a recess 9, formed in a suitable handle 10, the recess 9 being preferably enlarged at its upper end to accommodate the wrapping, the lower end of the recess being of a size to just receive the contacting terminals of the frame wires. The handle 10, preferably of a size to be conveniently grasped in the hand, is formed at its lower end with a recess 11, designed to engage a suitable projection from a fixture or display-rack, whereby the stand of my invention is readily adapt-- frames are moved toward each other by manual operation to permit the insertion of the four loops 3 and 5 within the hat, which upon release of the pressure upon the arms operate to engage the hat and support the same on the frames, the tension of the coils 1 and 7 being sufficient to prevent accidental disengagement of the hat and frame. Through the medium of the handle 10 the holder or stand may be removed from the rack when desired for individual exhibition.

It is highly desirable in devices of this character that the hat be firmly held by the stand to prevent accidental separation therefrom, and yet distortion or stretching of the hat must be avoided. The structure described effectivelyprovides for both of these objects in that the hat-supporting loops are at a right angle to the frame-arms, so that the hat bears squarely thereon, and the frame-loops provide four independent bearing-points for the holder, each having independent tension, so that one may yield without relation to the other. By this means the hat is supported at four distinct points, and each of these points is under independent tension, thereby insuring the firm supporting of the hat without liability of distortion or stretching. v

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is A display-stand for hats comprising duplicate frames each constructed of a single length of wire bent intermediate its ends to provide oppositely-disposed loops, one arm of each of the loops beingin alinement and forming a straight line transverse of the holder, the body of said loops lying in a plane beyond the holder, the terminals of the Wire being projected downwardly from said loops in a curved plane and bent adjacent their re= spective ends to form spring-coils, the respec'- tive coils of each of the frame-terminals being arranged in alternate order, and the terminals of the wires below said coils being secured together to provide a single projecting member, and a handle formed to receive said member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. WELCH.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. PFAFF, PAUL D. BREIDENSTEIN. 

